Vehicle top



I 2,135,595 Nov. 8,- 1938. AJE. NORTHUP VEHICLE TOP Filed Aug. 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. I 1727205 7 flori/l'u t A TTORNEY5.

Nov. 8,1938. A. E. NORTHUP VEHICLE TOP Filed Aug. 30, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 1727205 2'. Nari/R17.

Patented Nov. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE p VEHICLE TOP Amos E. Northup, Pleasant Ridge, Mich., assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application August 30, 1935, Serial No. 38,579

10 Claims.

This invention relates generally to convertible top constructions, and more particularly it relates to that particular feature in top con structions which has to do with the securement of the top covering material to the rear bow of the top, and the formation of the rear window curtain opening thereof.

Convertible top constructions generally comprise a main section of material which forms the top panel of the top. Secured on either side of this main top panel are quarter panel sections which form the side walls of the top and together with the top panel section form a rear opening in which a rear window curtain is'hung. Generally this rear window curtain is provided with a rear window light and is displaceably mounted in the rear portion of the top.

I-Ieretofore the main section of the top material has been brought rearwardly from the front bow and has been tacked to a wooden rear bow member or tacked into a tacking strip formed in a metallic rear bow member. The quarter sections of the top have likewise in their upper edges been secured to this rear bow member by 25 means of tacks and the entire line of tacks has been coveredwith a bead or finishing strip tacked over the entire seam.

It has been found extremely difiicult to render the joint provided by this scam, water-tight 30 and consequent leakage through this seam has caused damage to the interior of the car and rotting away of the rear b'ow member or tacking strip.

In consequence of this, it is the general object 35 of this present application toprovide a construction which will dispense with this seam and line of tacked material which is exposed to the exterior'of the car.

I More specifically one of the objects of the pres- 40 ent invention is to provide a top construction in which the top material is secured to the rear bow by means of tacks throughout an area which is not exposed to the exterior of the top.

Still further the invention contemplates the 4 provision of a downwardly extending flange lying substantially in the plane of the rear curtain which serves to strengthen and support the rear curtain and render a more attractive exterior appearance to the top in general. Yet another 50 object of the invention consists in the provision of a novel means for mounting the rear curtain panel interiorly of the top as a whole.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide novel means for removably mounting the 56 rear curtain panel with respect to the rear bow.

Many other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof. 5

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper rear portion of an automobile having the improved top construction mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the portion of 10 the automobile shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, showing a View from the interior of the top looking rearwardly;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing details of the improved means for securing the top material to the rear bow and showing the rear curtain mounted in place;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, showing the means for securing the top material to the body of the car;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3, showing the mounting of the rear curtain and the manner in which it is secured to the main portion of the top;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 showing the means by which the rear curtain panel is demountably secured to the rear bow;

Fig. 8 is a modified form of the invention showing the rear bow formed of a metallic memher of hollow section;

Fig. 9 is a modified form of the invention showing a different manner of securing the quarter panel sections of the top to the main section of the top to form the rear curtain open- 1 Fig. 10 is a further modification showing still another means by which the quarter panel sections of the top may be secured to the main section, forming a relatively larger window opening.

With more particular reference to the drawings, the top herein illustrated comprises a main top panel I made of canvas or similar flexible water-resisting material. Secured to each side of this main top panel I are a pair of quarter sections of similar material 2 and 3 stitched thereto by means of seams 4 and 5.

The front portion of the top is of conventional structure and has not been illustrated herein. The rear portion of the top comprises a rear bow 6 suitably supported on the body of the car and forming the main means for supporting the top at the rear portion of the vehicle. This bow as shown in the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, is formed of wood and is generally triangular in cross section having its upper surface formed arcuately in order to give the top material passing thereover a smooth, rounded effect. A flange 1 formed of a thin relatively stiff sheet of metal is mounted in a rabbet in the arcuate surface of the bow 6 and extends rearwardly and downwardly substantially in the plane of the rear curtain of the top a substantial distance. It will be seen that the mounting of this flange plate I is such that the smooth curvature of the rear bow is extended downwardly a substantial distance into the plane of the rear curtain of the top. This flange plate may be secured to the rear bow by means of screws 8 or any other suitable means. This flange 1 extends throughout the central portion of the bow 6 and is of a length nearly as great as the width of the central top panel I.

In assembling the top the main or central panel l is seamed to the .quarter panels 2 and 3 at '4 and 5, and these three members, after they have been secured together, are secured to the front portion of the top. They are then 'brought'rearwardly over the rear bow. A central portion of the central panel of the top is thencarried down over the flange 1 and brought back up underneath the under side of the flange 1 and tacked to the bow E5 throughout an area immediately inward of the flange l. The tacks .for securing the main top section of the top to the rear bow are shown at 9. The side portions of the central top panel I, which are not secured to the rear bow, are carried downwardly toward the body of the automobile and at theirinner lateral edges are hemmed by means of seams ill and ii, One of these seams is shown in detail in Figure 6.

The quarter sections of the top and the remaining portions of the centralpanel are then secured to thebody of the automobile'by means of the tacking strip L3 surrounding the marginal edge of the automobile body. As is conventional in the art, this material may be secured by means of a finishing strip 14 through which tacks are driven'into thetacking strip [3 to-hold the top material therebetween, as is shown in Fi 5.

The rear window panel of the top is mounted detachably with respect tothe rear bow and in general comprises a main section 15 of fabric having a rear window l6 --mounted :therein by means of a suitable window frame H which serves to clamp both the rear window and the fabric material of the rear windowpanel. However, this, rear window panel may bedetachably secured to the body of the automobile by-any conventional means such as separable fasteners, as is usual in the art. The upper marginal edge of the rear window panel has a metallic stiffening stripl=9 secured thereto as s'een'in Fig. 7. Along the under side of the bow 6 are a plurality :of

' fasteners 28 of conventional constructioncomprising studs having latches therein and plungers in the top of the studs for releasing the latches. The stiffening strip l9 which is secured to the upper marginal edge ofthe rear window panel has a plurality of apertures therein adapted to register with thesnapfastenersl-U H1301- der to releasably secure the upper marginaledge of this rear window panel to the-rear bow-ofithe car. The metallic strip i9 is-sufficientlywiide so that its outer marginal edge-lies j ustsinwardly-nf thedepen'ding flange 'l-inforderithat the canvas material forming the back window paneliwillextend downwardly substantially in the plane of the flange 1 and lie in close proximity thereto.

The lateral edges of the rear. window panel may be secured on either side to the adjacent edge of a padding strip 24 disposed inwardly of the top covering material I by means of slide fasteners 25 or any other suitable means.

It will be apparent from the above described construction that a form of top is presented heretion completely does away with the conventional seam which usually appears along the peak of the main rear bow. It will be further apparent from this construction that a considerable portion of the main body of the top surrounds and overlaps the rear window panel tn rein, lending support to the rear window panel and, an unusually attractive and water-tight rear top assembly a vIn'theevent it is desired to use a metallic member for the rear bow, the construction shown inFig. 8 may be employed. In Fig. 8. a main rear bow formed of sheet metal of hollow section is shown. It will be seen that the rear bow 39 has a depending ,fiange 3| formed integrally therewith. The portion of the rear bow member which is adjacentthe depending flange is bent into L-shaped form in order to form with the flange 3i a channel 32 adapted for the reception of a wood tacking strip 33. Thus, it will be seen that inthis form of the invention, as in the form of the invention described in the preceding figures, it is possible to bring the top material rearwardly in a smooth curve over the rear bow downwardly over the flange Stand upwardly inside the flange 3| and secure it to the tacking strip 33 by means of suitable tacks as. Suitable metallic fasteners 35 may be secured to the meltallic surface of the under side of the metallic top bow .30 'by any conventional means.

In the modified 'form of the invention shown in Fig. 9, the-entire rear edge of acentral top panel I 31 is carried rearwardly over the flange 1 and carried upwardly and secured to the rear bow 6. The rear-quarter panels 38 of the materialare carried inwardly a substantially greater'distance than shown in the preceding figures, and have their marginal edges hemmed at, 3811. .in order to define the edge of the rear window panel open- 7 ing. It will be seen that in this form of the invention the rear window panel opening is dee fined by'the body of the car on the lower side,

the quarter panels on thelateral sides and by the main top panel .I at the top, the main top panel, in this instance, as well as'in the preceding figures, coming down and over the flange 1.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 10- a substantially larger rear window panel lfl is. provided. This window panel 40 hasa rear window 4| mounted therein by means of the frame similar in construction to the frame I! described in connection with the preceding figures. This rear window panel 40 is suificiently wide so that it extends over far enough to meet' .thenormaledges-of the quarter panels 2 and .3. Inasmuch as theK-quarter panel edges in this modification serve to define the rearcurtain opening and consequently are-not secured to the top panel; throughout'this area,- theyare hemmed at their :edges13a to. provide-a neatfim'sh. It will be seen that inpthis modification, as was the case in;the modification shownin 9,' the entire I curvature to the top is produced.

' herein illustrate forms of convertible top constructions in which a novel and attractive rear It will be further noted that all tacking of the top to the rear bow is done on the interior of the car and hence the likelihood of leakage through a line of tacks is eliminated. The unattractive seam usually occurring throughout the width of the rear bow of the top is completely done away with.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the modifications of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of some of the forms which the invention may take, and the scope of the invention is only to be limited by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a convertible top construction a rear bow for said top, a flange extending downwardly from said rear bow substantially in the plane of the rear curtain of said top and top material extending from the forward portion of said top over said bow around said flange and secured to the bow inwardly of said flange.

2. In a convertible top construction a rear bow for said top, a flange element secured to the rear side of said bow and extending downwardly substantially in the plane of the rear curtain of said top, and top material extending from the front 'of said top rearwardly over said rear bow around the lower edge of said flange and secured to said rear bow.

3. In a convertible top construction, a rear bow formed of sheet metal of hollow section, a flange formed integrally with said bow extending a substantial distance downwardly and-rearwardly in the plane of the rear curtain of said top, a tacking strip in the underside of said bow,

and top material extending rearwardly over said how around said flange and secured to said tacking strip.

4. A bow for convertible tops comprising a bow member of substantially triangular cross section, 2, depending flange secured to the outer surface of said bow member and extending rearwardly and downwardly a substantial distance therefrom, said flange lying substantially in the rear curtain plane of said top, the marginal edge of said flange serving to define one edge of an opening in the rear quarter of said top.

5. A rear bow for convertible tops comprising a flange secured to said bow and extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom and adapted to lie substantially in the plane of the rear curtain of said top, and means located inwardly of said flange on said bow for permanently securing top material and for detachably securing a rear curtain to said bow.

6. A metallic rear bow member for convertible tops having a flange extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom a substantial distance, and means on the lower side of said bow inwardly of said flange for permanently securing top material to said bow.

7. In a convertible top construction, a central panel section of top material, a rear bow, a portion of the rear edge of said central panel section being secured to the under side of the rear bow, and portions thereof extending beyond said bow.

8. In a convertible top construction, a central panel section of top material, a rear bow, a portion of the rear edge of said central panel section being secured to the under side of the rear bow and other portions of the rear edges of said material being secured to the body of the automobile.

9. In a convertible top construction, a central panel section of top material, quarter panel sections of top material secured to either side of said central section, the rear edge of said central section being secured to the under side of the rear bow of said top and the rear edges of said quarter panel sections secured to the body of said automobile.

10. In a convertible top construction, a central panel section of top material, quarter panel sections of top material secured to either side of said central section, the rear edge of said central section being secured to the under side of the rear bow of said top and the rear edges of said quarter panel sections secured to the body of said automobile, the lateral inner edges of said quarter panel sections serving to define a rear window panel opening.

AMOS E. NORTI-IUP. 

